Going Round in Circles

Sun. 20 November:  Going Round in Circles

First signs of winter on the trail

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If it felt like we were going round in circles, it was because we were!  But by design.

There are several loops available to the hiker at Foley Mountain Conservation Area, and we explored three of them today.  They’re not really circles, but more like irregular loops.  They all pass through this spectacular escarpment country above the Rideau Lakes. 

Today we started out on the Rideau Trail, stopping at the plaque where, exactly forty five years ago this month, the Rideau Trail was born.  From there we continued eastwards down to the swimming beach.  This was no day for a swim.  The snow was quickly settling on the ground, and the waters of Upper Rideau Lake merged into a swirling misty back-drop.

We climbed the escarpment through the bare trees on a narrow, slippery trail, making two more loops before returning to our cars.  Along the way we stopped at Spy Rock, where somewhere below us in the mist lay the village of Westport. 

The wind was gathering pace in the treetops above us.  It was time to drive carefully home and settle down in front of a warm fire with a hot drink.  Winter seemed to have arrived a little early this year.   

The Rideau Trail at Foley Mountain

Woodland pathway

The Rideau Trail plaque:  celebrating 45 years this month

No day for a butterfly

The swimming beach

Climbing the escarpment

Westport hidden in the mist below Spy Rock

Going round in circles!

Charleston Lake Trails

Sun. 13 November:  Charleston Lake Trails

Perth on a beautiful November morning

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It was a busy scene at the Park gates:  cars arriving, hikers meeting each other.  Finally we had a group of around thirty walkers, mostly from Kingston, but also Perth and Ottawa.  There were too many of us for one group, so we divided into two teams, heading in opposite directions around the Tallow Rock Bay Trail.

Charleston Lake Provincial Park is a popular summer camping destination.  The lake is huge and has several islands and bays to explore.  At this time of year, the gates are closed, but the trails are still open for hiking.  This trail is the most demanding one, heading north through rugged woodland, not far from the lake, before looping back, further inland, to the start.  There are a couple of side trails leading to wilderness campsites beside the lake, and one exciting floating bridge.

It takes more than a stroll.  There didn’t seem to be any flat sections, until the meadows near the end.  We were either climbing wooded slopes or scrambling down through rocks.  The elevation contour tells the story.

For mid-November, you couldn’t imagine a more perfect day for a hike:  sunshine, southwest breeze, temperatures around 10C and dry under foot.  The trail was often a deep carpet of leaves.  Despite our group numbering around twenty, we were well matched and made steady progress along the roller-coaster route.  Our lakeside stops at Bob’s Cove and Tallow Rock Bay were highly scenic.

But of course, for the Passionate Hiker, the highlight was the Slim Bay Bridge.  It might have been about a hundred metres across, on a series of floating pontoons, strung together to cross the entrance to a long, narrow inlet of Charleston Lake.  This bridge had been closed for over a year, but was now open and safe to use.  The breeze caused ripples across the surface of the lake, which shone brightly under the low sun.

As an encore, we took a detour up to Quiddity Lookout, with fine views across the lake to the low ridge of Blue Mountain to the south.

The Tallow Rock Bay Trail takes more effort than most of the Frontenac Loops, which we had been tackling over the past two months.  It is worth that extra energy.  And if you’re lucky enough to walk it in the company of a group of experienced and friendly RTA hikers, and on a day such as this, then you’ve created another special hiking memory. 

Charleston Lake Provincial Park

Echoes of a busy summer on the lake

Our hike leader describing an interesting tree

Following a ridge northwards

Bob's Cove wilderness campsite

Charleston Lake from Bob's Cove

The Slim Bay Bridge (designed to allow canoes through)

Looking back up Slim Bay

Silver waters

On the trail

Tallow Rock Bay

Returning south through the woods

Quiddity Lookout

Waiting for that first snowfall

The route

A roller-coaster thirteen and a half kilometre trail

Returning to Perth after another great trip

It Can Now Be Revealed

Sat. 5 November:  It Can Now Be Revealed

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The War’s Over! – now the full story can be told.

I have several fascinating booklets published immediately following the end of World War 2.  Under the title: “It Can Now Be Revealed”, they record events which had been censored during the War.

For the past two months, I have been posting pictures of the secret codes nailed to trees across Frontenac Park, as part of the Frontenac Challenge, but blurring them so as not to spoil the fun for the other hikers out there earning their Challenge badges.

Now it’s over.  Almost two hundred people completed the Challenge this year – a record – and a good number of them were at the Frontenac Park office today to collect their certificates and badges.    This is the twenty fourth year of the Frontenac Challenge.  I sat next to the only person who has completed every Challenge so far.  She looked capable of completing many more.  And then there was the six year old girl collecting her first certificate.  How many more lie ahead for her?

Next year, an exciting new challenge has been invented, called the “Ranger’s Ramble”.  This will involve hiking every trail in the Park, plus all the portage routes.  This might bring the total distance closer to 200 kilometres!  And there’s no doubt plenty of people will give it a go.

In the meantime, given the glorious Fall weather, with temperatures around thirteen degrees C, we took the opportunity to do some “forest bathing”, with a gentle stroll around the Doe Lake and Arab Gorge loops.  It all looked a bit bare, not just because most of the leaves are on the ground, but also because those exciting colorful code signs are now gone – at least, until next Fall.

One of the Code Signs being recorded by Challengers (and blurred by the censor)

It can now be revealed!

The full set of secret codes

Our reward - a nice certificate and badge

Wise Move

Mon. 31 October:  Wise Move

Barred Owl on the Rideau Trail north of Bedford Mills

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My observant colleague saw it first – a dark shape gliding silently across the sky and landing in a tree just ahead of us on the trail.  He thought it might have been a goshawk, but as we quietly approached the tree, we could see it was a large owl.   It sat up in the branches unmoving and, it seemed, not worried by our presence.  This was a barred owl, and a beautiful specimen.  

It was the largest owl I had ever seen.  As I focused in with my camera, its head swivelled round to give us a piercing look, then turned away again.  After a while, making no sound, it flew a little farther away, resting on another branch, before taking off over the treetops.  It was one of those special moments.  I had seen a barred owl before, but never this close.

Our encounter with the owl capped off an enjoyable “pre-hike” of next Saturday’s route.   We travelled north on the Rideau Trail from Bedford Mills into a rugged, forested countryside with many twists and turns in the trail to keep us on our toes.  The highlight, we had assumed, would be the rope ferry across the lake.  And it was an exciting crossing.  This little platform had a limit of three hikers at a time, and so the three of us gave it a good test.   There was a brief moment in the deepest section of the crossing where we swayed alarmingly, but we made it across safely.  

Little did we know that, just up the path, was an even more exciting sight.  It would be nice if our owl made a repeat appearance for Saturday’s hikers - but don't count on it.  They live by their own rules.

Bedford Mill - it's for sale if you're interested!

Still some color but most of the trees are now suddenly bare

Hauling in the ferry...

...and an enjoyable crossing

Edible rock tripe - more like shoe leather

The blue side trail passes beside this mysterious lake -
the ferry is at the far end of the lake, at the beaver dam.

Job Done!

Sun. 23 October:  Job Done!

The Frontenac Challenge completed

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Job Done!  I had set myself a goal, and today I achieved it.

Not that you’d call the Frontenac Challenge a “job”, but as its name implies, it does require some organization and determination to succeed.  This has been a team effort, and several of us completed our two final loops today. 

It had been raining and blowing for a couple of days, and the overnight temperatures had dropped to around freezing, but today was perfect for hiking.  There was still plenty of colour on the trees and at our feet, but there were also many bare trees.  We had completed our task with a week to spare, the deadline being the end of October.

The Passionate Hiker finds it quite impossible to take on a hiking challenge without resorting to statistics!  Here are some examples:

• The official eleven loops were completed in seven hiking trips. 
• The total distance hiked was 120.1 kilometres.  This included the loops themselves plus the access trails from the nearest parking lot. 
• We had as many as seventeen hikers on a trip, and as little as two. 
• Our average speed was remarkably consistent, ranging between 2.63 km/hr. and 2.99 km/hr. and averaging 2.85.  This might surprise many people who figure that four or five kilometres an hour should be easy.  Let them travel the Frontenac Park trails, with a group of hikers, and then they might understand this statistic.  Our goal was always to enjoy the experience, not to break speed records.

Within Frontenac Park lie many gems.  Not precious stones, but precious places.  Perhaps everyone has their own favourite corners of the Park.  This author certainly does:  spectacular viewpoints, scenic lakes, green swamps, turtle-covered logs, sturdy boardwalks, dogs with back-packs, friendly fellow hikers, the breathtaking transformation into red and gold.  And so much more.  These are memories which will last.

Now all that remains is to return one last time to join in the celebrations.  Perhaps we’ll see you there too?

Our leader pointing out today's route, a low sun glinting through the trees

Lakes of molten silver...

...with golden trees

Anglers brew up beside Tetsmine Lake

Hidden gem on east leg of Hemlock loop...

...Fall colors still at peak here

Heading beneath a golden canopy

Lunch beside a swamp, the gusts of wind racing across its surface

One lone turtle takes a final breath of air before heading into hibernation

Load-testing the bridge over Moulton Gorge

Clearwater Lake

On the final leg

Above Kingsford dam

The hiker's code:  leave no trace but bring chocolates!

Today's route:  the last two loops

The joys of Fall in Frontenac Park